Buds

All winter long the icy winds whistled through the naked branches. The branches stood out, exposed and dark against the crisp clear sky. The squirrels scurried about and hurried back to their warm nests. The birds clung to the branches for a moment and then looked for some place more sheltered. The branches remained day and night out in the cold icy wind. They appear brittle and lifeless. Then the soft mild spring breeze wafted through those same branches. Almost overnight, it seemed, a...